Furnace



June 20, 1933.

E. B. KAY 1,914,746

FURNACE Filed Sept. 19, 19:50 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 -E. B. KAY

June 20, 1933.

FURNACE Filed Sept. 19, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuanto'c Edgar B010 Kgv 8% w 5. @01

E. B. KAY

'June 20, 1933.

FURNACE Fi t. 19, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 E dgar Bga lily M June 20, 1933.

E. B. KAY 1,914,746

FURNACE Filed Sept. 19, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwomtoz Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE "EDGAR BOYD KAY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, FLORENCE MEANS KAY I EXECUTE-IX OF WILL 0F SAID EDGAR BOYD KAY, DECEASED FURNACE Application tiled September 19, 1930. Serial No. 483,071.

This invention relates to improvements in incinerators, and more especially to large capacity incinerators which operate continuously for handling the refuse of large cities and the like;

Heretofore, it has been proposed to incorporate the mutual cell principle in such incinerators. In accordancewith that principle, the fire chamber is divided into a series of cells that communicate with one another, and each of these cells has its own hatchway for depositing the material to be burned into the cell. Consequently, when the furnace is in operation, heat from a brightly burning cell will radiate into adjoining cells and tend to augment the heat in the latter cells in case green or wet materials are being handled in the latter cells.

ln the 1prior proposals, the rear wall of all of the co ls prevents any exit of gases at the rear, and all discharge of gases takes place at pne end of the compartment forming the cel 5. clean an intermediate cell, flames from cells which are spaced farther away from the gas exit than the cell being cleaned, will pass over the cell being cleaned, and not alone interfere with the cleaning operation, but the heat will be dissipated, as the gases will be travelling over a zone where a lower temperature is desirable.

Furthermore, in the known constructions, cleaning and stoking is interfered with, and the means of introducing and controlling a force draft is not entirely practical.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-cell type of incinerator, in which there is a bridge wall at the rear end of each cell, over which the gases from the cells pass into a common combustion l chamber which communicates with the stack or flue. With this arrangement, heatfrom each cell is radiated intd'adjoining cells, and assists inburning 'materialsin the adjoining cells, but there is no direct passage of flames.

Consequently, when it is necessary to and without the flames interfering with the cleaning operation.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an incinerator of this kind, in which a cell may be perfectly cleaned without the necessity of opening the main door of the cell, for a drop dead plate is'built into the front wall of each cell, and acts to lengthen the fire box as well as permits discharge of 6 materials from the fire box into the ash conveyor by manipulation of the dump plate from the exterior of the incinerator.

A further object is to provide an incinerator of this type, in which each cell has its own ash pit, each of these ash pits being cleanable for discharging ashes from the pit on to the ash conveyor without the necessity of entering the ash pit.

Another object is to associate a force draft a duct with the ash pit of all of the cells, the duct communicating by way of ports in the partition walls, with the various ash pitsi and these ports having separate contro valves or dampers, whereby the draft may be cut ofif from. opposite sides of each cell without interfering with the force draft admitted to adjoining cells.

A still further object is to provide such an incinerator, including means to permit cleaning of the combustion chamber without interfering with the operation of the furnace.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention 85 Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2. s

Fig. 5 is a front elevation partly in vertical section.

- Referring to the drawings, 6 is the stoking floor and 7 the charging floor of the masonry structure associated with the incinerator. As is usual, the charging floor forms a platform on which the material to be incinerated maybe deposited to be fed into the furnace through the hatches 8. Each of these hatches has a door 9 that may be opened and closed by any suitable mechanism.

Between the charging and stoking floors, the front wall 10 of the mutual cells is arranged, and extending rearwardly from this wall to a rear wall or bridge 11 are relatively low partition walls 12 which extend only part way up to the roof 13 of the cells, in order that these cells may communicate. Each cell has a hearth 14 to receive the material dumped through its hatch opening 8, and the hearth has an inclined drying grate 15 from which a horizontal grate 16 extends forward ly to the front wall 10.

Main stoking doorways 17 are positioned in the front wall, and there is one of these necessity of opening the main door 18. This feature allows stoking without interfering .with the high heat that is necessary to be ,maintained in the. furnace. If the large door was opened, flames are not only liable to rush out due to the force draft, but cold air may enter in large volume and reduce the temperature.

A small door 21 is provided for closing the small doorway or port 19.

For the purpose of dumping materials which cannot be burned, without opening the door 18, I provide each fire box with a hinged dead plate 22 that may be actuated from the exterior of the front wall by any suit-able means. Ordinarily, such a dump plate would necessitate the lengthening of the incinerator, but to eliminate this difficulty, I arrange the same within the opening 17 formed in the front wall, and this opening is extended downwardly as well to form an ash pit doorway 23 that is closed by a door 24.

The lower portion 23 of the main doorway is provided at its bottom with a chute 25 which dumps the material on to an ash conveyor 26.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the door 21 is opened, a stoking tool may be inserted into the fire box to move incombustible materials on to the dead plate 22, and then such plate can be swung downwardly by control means at the exterior of the furnace, and such incombustible mate- .rials will drop through the chute 25 on to the conveyor 26, and all of this is accomheat maintained in the fire plished without interferin with the high x during burning periods.

Furthermore, when it is necessary to clean out the burning and drying grates, and the corresponding ash pit 27, the doors 18 and 24 may be opened, and these parts may be 1 rapidly cleaned and the material dumped into the chute 25 without any real interference with the burning action taking place louvre gate 30, fixed to a rock shaft 31, which extends forwardly through the front wall and is provided with a handle 32.

It will be understood that when all of the cells are in operation, all of the dampers 30 will in open position, but when it is desired to clean a cell, the dampers 30 at opposite sides of the ash pit of the latter will be closed, so that the force draft will be cut off from that particular cell.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the bridge Wall 11 being spaced from the roof of the fire chambers, provides an opening 33 through which the gases directly pass from the rear of the fire chamber into a combustion chamber 34 after they have passed over the drying hearth 14. Consequently, the flames issuing from the burning material will be forced to first pass over the drying hearth to heat up the material on the latter, and will then flow into the combustion chamber without flowing over adjacent cells as was the custom in the past. Therefore, while heat from each cell will radiate into adjoining cells, there will be no direct passage of flames over such adjoining cells, and, this will materially facilitate the cleaning of the cell. On the other hand, just as soon as a cell has been cleaned'and fresh material is fed into the same through its hatch 8, the heat from adjoining cells will radiate into the freshly charged cell and assist the latter in heating up to the working temperature.

For reinforcing the bridge wall 11, to better control and direct the flow of gases, and to I I ends of the combustion chamber, and through the latter openings, tools may be inserted for cleaning purposes. Each opening 38 is normally closed by a door 39.

Ports 40 in the wall 36 place the compartments of the combustion chamber 1n communication with the discharge passageway 41 which leads to the stack or flue 42. As this passageway has a damper 43, the latter acts to control the suction draft in all of the cells.

In Fig. 3 it will be seen that the incinerator illustrated comprises four cells which communicate at their rear ends with a combustion chamber that is divided into three compartments, but I desire it to be understood that any number of cells may be used, and the combustion chamber may be divided into any number .of compartments, depending on the capacity of the plant in which my improvements are incorporated.

The present incinerator has been designed to meet the growing demandfor refuse and garbage incinerators or destructors in umts of large capacity, which can be efiiciently and economically operated,.in continuous service, without the necessity of shutdown for removal of incombustible material;

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of theinvention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed,

without departing from the spirit of the in- ,vention, as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An incinerator comprising a floor and roof, front, rear and side walls, a bridge wall extending transversely between said side walls and dividing the interior of the incinerator into a front fire box chamber and a rear combustion chamber, longitudinal partition walls in the fire box rising from the floor .and extending between the front wall and the bridge wall but spaced from the roof, grates arranged between the partition walls and positioned above the floor to prov de ash pits beneath the grates, drying hearths 1nclined upwardly and rearwardly from the rear ends of the grates to the bridge wall, doors arranged in the front wall forwardly of said grates and corresponding in number to said grates, and hatches in the roof, each hatch being arranged directly over one of said drying hearths and the hatches being equal in number to the number of the drying hearths, the top of the bridge wall being spaced from the roof to provide passageway means at the rear ends of the drymg hearths for placing the rear end of the fire box in direct communication with the combustion chamber.

2. An incinerator comprising a floor and roof, front, rear and side walls, a bridge wall extending transversely between said side walls and dividing the interior of the incinerator into a front fire box chamber and a rear combustion chamber, longitudinal partition walls in the fire box rising from the floor and extending between the front Wall and the bridge wall but spaced from the roof, grates arranged between the partition walls and positioned above the floor to provide ash pits beneath the grates, drying of said drying hearths and the hatches being equal in number to the number of the drying hearths, the top of the bridge wall being spaced from the roof to provide passageway means at the rear ends of the drying hearths for placing .the rear end of the fire box in direct communication with the combustion chamber, a transverse air duct arranged beneath the floor, ports in the partition walls positioned beneath the drying hearths and opening through opposite sides of each partition wall, said ports communicating with said air duct, dampers for controlling the flow of air from the ports through either side of each partition wall, and means manipulatable from the front of the incinerator for separately controlling said dampers.

3. An incinerator comprising a floor and roof, front, rear and side walls, a bridge wall extending transversely between said side walls and dividing the interior of the incinerator into a front fire box chamber and a rear combustion chamber, longitudinal the floor and extending between the front wall and the bridge wall but spaced from the roof, grates arranged between the partition walls and positioned above the floor to provide ash pits beneath the grates, drying hearths inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the rear ends of the grates to the bridge wall, doors arranged in the front wall forwardly of said grates and corresponding in number to saidgrates. hatches in the roof, each hatch being arranged directly over one of said drying hearths and the hatches being equal in number to the numberof the drying hearths, the top of the bridge wall being spaced from the roof to provide passageway means at the rear ends of the drying hearths for placing the rear end of the fire box in direct communication with the combustion chamber, other partition walls dividing the combustion chamber into a number of 001m partlnents, and aligned doorways in the last mentioned partition walls and the side walls of the combustion chamber for use in cleaning the combustion chamber.

4. An inc nerator comprising a floor and roof, front, rear and side walls, a bridge wall partition walls in the fire box rising from extending transversely between said side walls and dividing the interior of the incinerator into a front fire box chamber and a rear combustion chamber, longitudinal partition walls in the fire box rising from the floor and extending between the front wall and the bridge wall but spaced from the roof, grates arranged between the partition walls and positioned above the floor to provide ash pits beneath the grates, drying hearths inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the rear ends of the grates'to the bridge wall, doors arranged in the front wall forwardly of said grates and correspondin in number 15 to said grates, hatches inthe roo each hatch being arranged directly over one of said drying hearths and the hatches being equal in number to the number of the drying hearths, the top of the bridge wall being spaced from 20 the roof to-provide passageway means at the rear ends of the drying hearths for placing the rear end of the fire box in direct communication with the combustion chamber, forwardly and rearwardly extending partitions dividing the combustion chamber into a number of compartments, said compartments communicating at their lower ends, a main flue, and ports in the rear wall constantly placing all of said compartments in communication with said flue. In testimony whereof, I hereto affix my signature.

EDGAR BOYD KAY. 

